I remember the first time I was placed in a classroom with students all on my own. I had been hired as a 7th grade teacher and it was the first day of school. A student came up and tried to give me a tissue
A teacher who gives up on a student who can’t read is similar to an administrator who gives up on a student by only using suspensions to discipline. Handling discipline with only this approach is the easy way out and does not get to the
Lately, I have noticed that Twitter and other social media like Facebook are filled with educators who make fun of PowerPoint. Tweets are flying through cyberspace talking down…or Tweeting down….to others for using the popular presentation tool. They Tweet and talk about how PowerPoint is
As someone who has had the privilege of working with educators the length and breadth of the United States, I can confirm this: there is no shortage of leadership in American education. At every level – school, district, state, higher ed – and, yes, even
“Computer systems are changing the basic structure of education by providing a ready means for self-directed learning. Disparities in computer skills can create disparities in educational development.” -Albert Bandura It is no longer acceptable for any educator to say, “I’m not good with computers.” Neither teacher
This post was originally published on Middleweb.com. Education for a New Generation of Learners I have one complaint about this book – its title. The word “new” in the title may be confusing enough to discourage veteran teachers from reading it, even assuming the publisher and author
This past month I facilitated groups who were getting ready for the school year, getting ready to go off to their first staff meetings, department meetings, district meetings. They were excited and readying themselves for the ‘beginning of school.’ They were also ‘steeling themselves’ for
With all of the time, effort, and money being poured into teacher evaluation systems, the outcomes of students from underrepresented populations have not changed enough to see that what we are doing is working. Only 61 percent of English learners, the fastest growing group in
In many parts of the world, one of the most universally available international experiences is traveling the world wide web. It’s hard to believe, but the Internet and the world of ubiquitous connectivity have only gained widespread adoption within the last ten years. Yet they
Why the “Soft Skills” are the Hard Skills, and Why they are Essential for Students’ Academic Success Dear Colleagues, For all of the rhetoric about ensuring that students are “college and career” ready, the reality is that our schools are still focused almost exclusively on students’ academic